Kansas City Chiefs fans weren't the only ones in a state of shock after the team's victorious Super Bowl win on February 11, 2024. Mecole Hardman Jr., the wide receiver who made the game-winning catch, was so shocked that he says he blacked out right after. Hours after the moments, the football player opened up to Today in an interview about the win.
"I don't remember none of it, like literally when I caught the pass, I blacked out for a second," he said. "I guess the magnitude of the moment just got to me."
Mecole caught the pass from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during overtime. "All I can remember is, after I caught it, I just see Pat running to me like, 'You're a champion!' and I'm like, 'Oh, we won! OK, bet.' And then I started celebrating," he said. "But I definitely don't remember nothing after I caught a ball."
Right after the game ended, Patrick opened up about the winning moment. "Can I tell a quick, funny story?" he asked. "I threw a touchdown to this dude at the end the game, and he looked at me and he had no idea. I said, 'Dude, we just won the Super Bowl!' He blacked out, he had no idea. He didn't even celebrate at the beginning! I'm like, 'What are we doing?'"
More from LittleThings: Unearthed Footage Of The First Ever Super Bowl Shows How Much The Game Has Changed
The win was special, especially because by halftime the Chiefs were down 10-3 against the San Francisco 49ers. By the end of the fourth quarter, they managed to tie the game 19-19.
Mecole says a speech from Travis Kelce during halftime helped to turn things around. "Trav really said something in there, just to get us focused and just let them know that we're being ourselves, because obviously we didn't play our best half," he said. "The defense was doing everything they needed to do, but the offense wasn't producing. So Trav gave a little heartfelt speech at halftime that kind of got the fire going."
"He definitely had a good little speech to get everybody going, put the fuel to the fire," Mecole added. “We came out in that second half like a totally different team.”
The wide receiver was just recently traded to the Kansas City Chiefs from the New York Jets in October 2023. "Man, I just feel like my road was just so like a roller coaster — just up and down," he said. "Getting traded — first time ever happened in my career — and just going back to a team that I got drafted by, and being welcomed and actually being here, winning the Super Bowl. I wouldn't have any other way."
Today coanchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb asked the NFL player how he'd spent his time celebrating after the win. "Well you guys know what they say — what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right?" he joked. "But it's been a little party, we went out to the party with the team after the game."
"I kind of ventured off and did a little something here and there," Mecole added. "But I'm here though, talking to y'all!"
